


This is impossible

by TreeOfTime



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:00:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25619269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeOfTime/pseuds/TreeOfTime
Summary: Luke had no idea why Darth Vader was so rabid to find him and apprehend him, but with his obsession, it sends them both crashing to a planet filled with the Force, Luke meets two men who he thought were dead to him and Vader doesn't appreciate it
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader & Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Comments: 79
Kudos: 365
Collections: 2020 Star Wars Summer Fic Exchange





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [laureas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/laureas/gifts).



> I apologize for taking so long Laureas for your deserved collection piece! I loved writing this for you, I hope you enjoy!

“Damn it damn it _damn it_!” Luke swore up and down, sending his X-Wing into a spiral, darting behind part of an Imperial Star Destroyer that had been split in two from the current battle to avoid missiles heading his way. He was barely able to escape the missiles with a bare scratch on his ship but that didn’t mean he wasn’t out of the hell hound breathing down his neck.

Darth Vader was right behind him.

The human android seemed to anticipate his every move and copied him, or, blocked his attempt at escape. Instead of Luke being able to help his pilot brothers, he was running away from the devil that was coming for him.

Which was certainly accurate with Vader.

Vader wasn’t letting him slip free this time, no, he was rabid and vicious, killing anything that got in the way. Several brothers of Luke’s had fallen trying to help him. The reason why no more had been killed was he ordered his team to focus on the fight, he had it under control.

He really didn’t.

He just wasn’t going to tell anyone else that.

“Kriff!” Luke yelped, twisting his ship to the sharp right to avoid colliding with another X wing, barely escaping a clipping.

_Luke._

Kriff off!

_Luke, listen to me…_

Luke instead pictured a Tatooine hand gesture to kriff oneself before he blocked out of the voice in his mind, that tickled his ear like the person was whispering in it or perhaps breathed into it like some lecherous creep.

By the feeling of hot rage, Luke had let that thought escape his pitiful mental shields and Vader had heard it.

Oops.

The young pilot twisted out of the wreckage of the Imperial Star Destroyer, entering the dogfight of the Empire and the Rebellion. It was absolute chaos, in the span of the first minute of entering the field he had to twist his ship out of the way of oncoming fire and almost being crashed into. It felt like a maze that moved on its own and with deadly intent, even the wreckages of smaller ships nearly took him out.

They were above the planet of their latest base; they barely had the cots unrolled before Vader appeared and attacked without even hesitation or forewarning. He had been barely able to get his pants on before his roommate grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him out the door to run for the hangar. Luke had wanted to explore the planet as he could feel the Force calling to him, whispering for him to come to it and the abandoned temple. He wasn’t sure what it wanted but it felt like it wanted to _show_ him something important. Something vital to his survival, as a person and as a future Jedi. That wasn’t going to happen now, thanks to some rat within the Rebellion.

Luke felt a sudden tingle down his neck, and he followed the instinct, veering to the left just as Vader’s Tie Fighter Advanced tried to clip him.

“You son of a Hutt!” Luke yanked the controls, slipping past an Imperial pilot to escape the battlefield. If Luke had taken the time, he probably could have met eyes with the pilot and given him a thumbs up for surviving but he didn’t. For one, there was too much to focus on, Vader was using that to his advantage as several times as he tried to escape the main battlefield, pieces of wreckage came soaring at him.

Was… was Vader using the Force to throw them at him, while _flying_?

That was cheap and alarming.

Luke took in a deep breath, trying to calm his shaking nerves as he dodged another near clipping of his wings.

_Was he crazy or just completely suicidal, murderous, and stupid?!_

A spike of pain went through his brain and he hissed between clenched teeth before this time, Vader got what he wanted from his brief distraction and clipped his left wing, sending Luke crying out in horror as he began to spin out of control and _directly for the planet_. Luke thought he had it under control…

Until Vader fired upon him when he tried to right the spin, or at least lessen it. The hit to his ship made him lose complete power. Hutt bastard had hit a precise shot to the power connectors, and he lost everything that once resembled a form of control. What was he now? Dead weight getting sucked in atmosphere.

Darth Vader wanted to fight dirty?

Fine, Luke could fight dirty too.

While his ship continued to spin, Luke took a deep breath and reached out in the Force. He let go, let go of his anger, his pain, his regrets, frustrations and just _focused_. Slipping past Vader’s looming shadow of rage and seething hatred that tried to deflect and destroy his concentration, he found a piece of debris from the battle that was nearby as Vader pursued his ship. Wrapping himself around the piece like it was in his hand and not actually the size of his body, he pulled the piece back and threw it as hard as he could at Vader’s Tie Fighter.

Vader’s focus felt like two angry enflamed eyes breaking away from him just enough to realize the danger wasn’t coming from the battle, Luke, or overall threat. No, instead was the piece that just pierced his engine and Luke could only smirk as Vader lost all power to his own ship. Luke knew it was petty at best but he allowed a thought to slip by his shields, making sure Vader heard it.

How does that feel, _sucker_?

Vader’s fury and indignation were the best answer Luke could ever ask for, that’s probably why he didn’t mind plunging to his death with Vader following.

What he hadn’t anticipated was the fact when they broke atmosphere was the Force within the abandoned temple and the planet itself leaping out to meet Luke. It felt like a full force hitting him right in the chest, taking his breath straight from his lungs as a bright light swarmed over his ship, blinding him. Luke could only raise his arms to protect himself as the ground suddenly came up to meet him, that’s when the bright light turned to black as he snapped into unconsciousness.

\-----

“Ow.” Luke moaned out, the first thing to enter his mind and the first thing to say, as he attempted to sit up correctly from his slouched position and felt his entire body twinge in pain. When he tried to move further, the twinge turned into screaming agony. His next words were in Huttese curse words that would make any pirate blush and fan themselves. As abruptly at the pain started, the pain lessened to a tolerable level.

Though his body still felt like he had been tossed off a high story building and landed on his chest. Weakly opening his eyes to weak slits, he got a hint of light entering his cockpit. Well, what was left of it. The mangled smoking remains filled his nostrils and make him let out a wheezing cough of for more air. As he tried to breathe in again, more smoke entered the cockpit, blinding his now watering eyes. 

Trying to swipe away the smoke, Luke reached for the release hatch of the cockpit canopy to find it mangled and him stuck.

“Kriff!” Swearing profusely, Luke struggled, trying to shove the canopy off with little success. It didn’t work and he had little time to escape before he assumed his X wing caught on fire by the smell of fuel leaking and the smoke filling his nostrils further. Luke tried not to panic as he pulled out his father’s lightsaber, cutting the cockpit canopy in jagged cuts of desperation for clean air and safety, he pushed with the Force to make it go flying off into the distance. Distantly, Luke heard it crash and caws of creatures being startled as he unclipped the safety webbing over his chest while holding the now unlit saber in the other. Luke didn’t waste much time jumping out of his destroyed ship to get a safe distance away in the field he was stumbled around in. His legs barely kept him upright, only when he felt safe from the now on fire ship, he allowed himself to collapse to his knees, heaving for precious oxygen while the pain pushed itself to the forefront of his mind.

He must have broken something, right? Maybe his ribs? A clavicle? His sternum from the webbing? Luke wasn’t sure, he hadn’t felt this type of pain before. It was a burning sharp pain every time he breathed in and out but also just from existing alone it hurt like hell. The only thing that stopped the pain being his focus was the inky blackness of Vader reaching out to touch him in the Force.

“Shit!” How the hell had Vader survived? Of course, how did _Luke_ survive the crash? He didn’t have time to answer those questions as Vader was already in the field where Luke crash landed, and his lightsaber lit in a split second of revealing himself to Luke.

“You, child, are almost constantly reminding me you are able to escape even the slightest of chances available.” Vader rumbled out, Luke stumbled to his feet, swaying as something dripped down his chin. Luke didn’t bother to reach up to check, he could most certainly bet it was blood by how warm it was.

“Well, I am full of surprises, aren’t I?” He snipped back, lighting his lightsaber with a faint swing to prep himself. The last time they had fought, Vader had demolished him and used him to sweep the floor of the factory they had been in. It certainly ruined Luke’s sense of pride and further insult was the mocking of Vader killing his father and not bothering to care who had been his Jedi father.

Bastard.

“Mostly certainly but it matters not, I have you now.” Luke opened his mouth to retort when Vader took one Force bound forward from across the field and was upon Luke within a single breath. The young Jedi barely had time to raise his blade to block the attack before he almost lost his head. When their lightsabers collided Luke felt his teeth snap together from the force of it and his arms twinge in sudden numbness. This wasn’t good, not at all.

Luke had lost horribly the first time they battled, and he had been healthy and energized. Now? He was beaten to hell with probably broken bones trying to fight off a monster who didn’t seem to have a scratch on him.

The Force seemed to take enjoyment out of Luke’s misery.

The battle was Luke desperately trying to block Vader’s attacks and barely succeeding each time, scarcely a minute in Luke realized that Vader was toying with him. It only occurred to Luke when he had managed to get a strike in, and Vader lazily blocked it before sending him to his ass with a hard kick to the gut.

“Has Obi-Wan taught you nothing, young one? Your training is that of a five-year-old with a stick.” Oh, that stung. Luke scrambled back, on the ground, to avoid a slash to his legs before he staggered to his feet and blocked a slow swipe from Vader.

“You killed him before he could ever teach me!” Spitting back at Vader was a distraction that Vader took advantage of because, again, Vader sent him to his ass but this time with a Force push that sent him sliding on the grass.

Luke wasn’t sure he could get up this time.

He could barely hold onto his lightsaber as it was, his hands and arms now numb from the strong blows of their lightsabers connecting.

“Good, then you are viable to my teaching, child.” Vader growled, smug, as he towered over Luke with his lightsaber relaxed in his grip.

Luke reared back in abject horror, sick at the sheer idea of it. “I’d rather die!”

“Your death is not my goal, but I can certainly make you wish for it until you succumb to my teaching.” Vader practically purred as he raised his lightsaber to strike.

“Your teaching ways seems most impractical.” A voice called out, making Darth Vader freeze. Luke could almost sense the eyes behind those lenses widening before the helmet snapped to look at the other side of the field.

“And stupid.” Another voice replied to the first. There were two men standing side by side at the other edge of the field and they both held blue lit lightsabers as blue and yellow Stormtroopers entered the area the men must have come from and stood behind the two men, blasters raised.

Vader and Luke both looked at each other, a heavy pause, then back at the intruders of Luke’s pitiful attempt of being a Jedi fighting a Sith.

“This is not possible!” Vader suddenly snarled out, stepping closer to the Jedi his posture changed, instead of relaxed filled with victorious smugness, it was brimming with dark energy and vehemence but what Luke thought peculiar in his dazed weakened state was the fact that Vader stepped so he was blocked from the two men’s view.

Luke was missing something, he had to be. Vader _knew_ these men and they were _Jedi_?

The Jedi were extinct! He was the last of them! Though Luke wasn’t sure, not with Stormtroopers backing those men. Were they Inquisitors?

“Whatever you think is impossible seems to be possible, Sith.” The shorter man replied, rolling his armored shoulders while the tall one shifted in posture, prepared to lunge forward. “Patience.” The thrumming man grunted in protest at the chiding, his eyes narrowed in concentration while Vader seemed to glare and the darkness surrounding him became oily and thick. Luke took the moment of silence to study the other men, the shorter one appeared older with auburn hair on his head and face with tan clothing while the taller younger man had dark blond hair, a scar on his right eye with almost black clothing. They both were bathed in dirt and clearly had been in some fight recently as they appeared to be covered in sweat. Vader seemed to realize Luke was looking at the two apparent Jedi and blocked his view further. The grip on the red saber tightened with the creak of leather. Luke didn’t know what the kriff was going on, but he didn’t want to stick around to find out. Luke weakly turned off his lightsaber and staggered to his feet only for Vader to reach with one hand to grab him by the shoulder and shoved him back. It sent Luke to his ass, _again_!

“You,” Vader jabbed a finger at him, “will stay put, child!” leaving Luke sputtering in absolute confusion and humiliation.

“I am not a child you over sized leather death machine!” Luke spat back, making both the unknown men tilt their heads at them before looking at each other. The taller one shrugged while the other sighed.

“Oh alright, go ahead.” The tall one grinned and Vader sharply turned to face him, dashing forward to meet the man suddenly racing towards them with his lightsaber raised. Luke barely saw the man running forward to collide with Vader, but Luke didn’t waste time, if the man was that fast then Luke was no match for either of them. He managed to his feet and bolted into the woods, opposite of the where the men or Stormtroopers had entered the field. 

“LUKE!” Vader roared but it was quickly cut off, he didn’t stop to find out, only ran for his life and to get the hell away while he still had the chance.

His attempt at running away was pitiful from his lack of energy and hurting body but Luke did the best that he could, he just kept running with his new pathetic burst of adrenaline until he could no longer even stand and collapsed against a tree, gasping and wheezing for air with his chest on fire. He slid behind a tree and sat at the thick trunk; his grip weak on his father’s lightsaber as he gave himself a brief reprieve from running.

The sound of the lightsaber battle was gone by distance and the silence of the forest slid in but if Luke really focused, he could hear explosions and the ever so faint shockwave in the ground. By experience of previous battles, he had to guess it was a few miles at way, if that. Whoever was fighting, Luke wasn’t interested in introducing himself. Not with Stormtroopers, Inquisitors, or Vader possibly hot on his heels. Luke closed his eyes, ever so briefly, just to rest before he heard the clack of armor and thudding of armored footsteps.

They were fast approaching.

Luke barely managed to get to his feet and turn to realize he had already been discovered by one of the other men barely fifteen feet away, the shorter man held an unlit lightsaber and seemed to be attempting to be friendly by the tight smile on his face and his upraised palms.

“Stay away!” Luke spat, raising his own unlit lightsaber in warning as he backed up, cursing foully when he realized he had been surrounded by Stormtroopers. “E chu ta!” 

“And where did you learn a Tatooine insult?” A voice asked from behind, making Luke go pale in horror as he turned to glance over his shoulder to find the taller man staring down at him.

How… how he did sneak up on him?

Where was Vader? Had he fled?

“Ask your mother.” Luke replied insolently, rather wishing he listened to Leia about keeping his foot in his mouth as the man’s expression darkened and Luke found his hand grasping air with his lightsaber in now in the man’s other hand. “That is _mine_!” 

The taller man smirked; blue eyes gleaming as he mockingly wiggled his father’s lightsaber at him. “This? Doesn’t seem to be anymore.”

“That was my father’s you sleemo! Its all I have left of him!” Luke snarled and the man froze, confusion entering his expression.

“Was your father a Jedi?” Luke shifted, glancing at the shorter man who casually approached with his arms behind his back. Why… why did he look familiar?

His eyes… he knew those eyes.

“I am not telling Empire lapdogs anything.” Luke was just digging himself a bigger hole at those point as he glanced around them, desperate for an escape when a chill slid down his spine and he shuddered.

 _Luke, you must escape. You are in danger._ Vader rumbled in his mind and Luke hissed out in pain at the darkness that seemed to spear his mind like a bad headache.

“We need to get him to the Council. Something is wrong. That Sith and him have a connection, I have never felt this before.” A voice replied distantly, another replied as well, distracted as Luke felt his gaze go back to his lightsaber in the other man’s grip, thinking quickly as his eyelids drooped from exhaustion. He was surrounded and Vader was out there, Luke could bet his life on it.

_Accept the Force, Luke. Let it strengthen you._

He wasn’t even sure how that worked but he let himself open his shields and his mind, the Force was eager to respond and when Luke opened his eyes, he felt a burst of strength enter him.

“Wait, what are you-“ The taller man started but Luke didn’t wait, he sucked in the Force, surrounding him and let it out like a sandstorm. Both men staggered back, nearly falling as Luke angrily called his lightsaber back to his grip and used the Force to jump up into the canopy of the large trees.

“Stop! We won’t hurt you!” A voice cried, Luke almost hesitated, it sounded like Old Ben, but that couldn’t be, Ben was dead. Luke didn’t think further on it as he landed on a tree branch then sent himself flying to another tree, jumping tree to tree as fast as he could go with the Force helping him.

The only reason why he knew how to do this was his friends dared him to climb trees with them on this very planet and jump with the help of the Force. It had been more exhilarating and fun then what Luke had ever imagined and one of his favorite memories since joining the Rebellion. Leia nearly had a brain aneurysm and Han thought he was insane for doing it. Chewie seemed to be the only one to think it was fun as he joined in on it. 

_Luke, come to me!_ A blackness of Vader reached out, showing him the way behind his eyes. Luke dodged the opposite way.

Kriff off!

_You are in danger, you can’t let them take you!_

“I’d rather let them skewer me then let you be a planet distance near me!” Luke spat to himself, huffing as he nearly slipped and fell while jumping to the next tree. The Force tickled for his attention, glancing down to see the auburn-haired man chasing from below. The Force then pushed him to look behind him to find the blond man had chased him through the trees and was only a tree behind. 

Who in the absolute hell were these men?

Luke didn’t bother to stick around as he jumped to the next several trees, trying to give them the slip but with his orange pilot suit, that was like asking Darth Vader to stop chasing him. Which meant it didn’t work, at all.

The taller man finally caught up with him, jumping into the same tree, Luke yelped and nearly lost his grip on the moss-covered limb. The man took advantage of his attempt to stop his fall by grabbing the front of his orange suit. Leaving his hanging with the tips of his toes on the shared branch, keeping him in an awkward position of balanced and falling.

“Stop. Running!” The man shook him, panting for air while the man below stopped and crossed his arms.

“He reminds me of you, Anakin.” The man shook him again, making Luke shrink in terror.

Anakin… Anakin Skywalker?

“Hey! I am not that much of a pain in the ass Obi-Wan!” Luke was going to faint, or, maybe wake up from this dream? Was he dead? Maybe stuck in his smoking ship still? Anakin Skywalker was dead. Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead.

They couldn’t possibly be these men; they both would be old. Obi-Wan would be in his fifties and the other? In his forties. 

Darth Vader seemed to realize that Luke had figured it out because boiling rage was sent out like a tidal wave, making the man who could be his father pause and shudder at the darkness. Luke just shivered as stared at the man near his age in awe, he couldn’t help himself. He reached and grabbed the hand that was holding his flight suit, bringing the attention back to him.

“Are… are you Anakin Skywalker?” The man paused before suddenly they were dropping, and Luke nearly screamed, the only thing that stopped him was the clench of his jaw to halt himself from biting his own tongue. The man landed on his feet and managed to set Luke on his own, catching him quickly before he fell from loss of balance. “I am Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with No Fear!” Anakin Skywalker sarcastically saluted, still holding onto him tightly.

“You are dramatic, Anakin.” The shorter man replied before resting a hand onto Luke’s shoulder, who was pretty sure it was to stop him from running again. “And I am Obi-Wan Kenobi, we are Jedi.” Luke felt his eyes bulge out of his head and again, Leia would insist he needed a foot in his mouth.

“That’s impossible, you’re impossible!” Both men looked amused but together the expressions turned to confusion at the fear Luke had. “You’re both _dead_.”

There was a pause as silence filled the conversation before Anakin Skywalker laughed, shaking his head in denial.

“Listen, kid, I’m not sure what you heard from the Republic Holonews, but we are very much alive.” Anakin chortled, amused.

The Republic Holonews?

“Wait, the Republic still stands?” Again, foot in mouth because both froze and stared at him as it seemed to dawn on them that he wasn’t joking or some idiot. The Force seemed to circle them even as Luke dimly felt Vader, he was getting closer, if not at a fast speed. Was… Vader running?

“Why wouldn’t it?” Obi-Wan asked kindly though both men tensed as they felt Vader approaching as well.

“Because he killed you both.” Luke whispered; he raised his hand and pointed just as the flash of a red lightsaber entered his periphery and the breathing of the Sith could be heard. “And the Sith Empire rose up in its ruins.”

“LUKE!” Vader roared, Luke felt himself be let go and he dropped to his butt, crawling backwards until his back hit a tree trunk. All he could do as his strength suddenly left him was watch Darth Vader face off with the two Jedi that Luke admired the most. His father and who should have been his master. “Say nothing you stupid child!”

“So that is what a Sith does, becomes obsessed with a barely taught Force child and terrorizes them?” Anakin Skywalker snapped, looking enraged and breathing sharply through his nose like the sight of Vader insulted him. Obi-Wan looked more concerned as he glanced from Luke to Vader, seeing something the other Jedi did not.

“No Sith is this obsessed with a child. Unless…” Obi-Wan mused out his eyes gleaming with understanding, Luke knew that look and so did Anakin by the way he tilted his head. 

“Shut up!” Vader snarled, lunging forward to attack the younger Obi-Wan Kenobi, trying to stop the next words that came from his mouth as he avoided the attack with ease and deflected.

“Unless there was a parental attachment involved between them.” Darth Vader froze, his lightsaber raised as his helmet turned and Luke even at this distance could see his reflection in those lenses, the focus.

No. Not possible. It couldn’t be!

Anakin Skywalker.

Darth Vader.

Anakin… Vader. Anakin Skywalker was… Darth Vader.

The Force hummed in agreement, revealing the truth.

Oh Tatooine gods, what had his father become?

The only two people who knew the full truth now was Luke and Vader, who were both staring at each other while the two Jedi of the past stood between them in this pivotal moment of reunion.

“Luke…” Vader rumbled, hesitating as Luke began to shake, tears filling his eyes. “ _My son_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea at what I am doing, this was only supposed to be one chapter

The dead silence that permeated the forest after the declaration from the Sith made it feel like a person could sneeze a mile away and could be heard from how quiet it was. Well, besides the humming of lightsabers and Vader’s breathing. 

This was not how he intended to tell his son the truth. 

Vader, in mild honesty to himself, had never truly considered how he would tell his son. He had been more focused as trying to get ahold of him than anything else. The sheer amount of times Luke had escaped by sheer luck has made him grind his teeth to the point they creaked from the pressure. Now the truth was out and the two Jedi he most despised knew as well and they were standing in his way of reuniting with the child he never saw grow up to become a young man.

He never got to see him when he was first born, to hold him, watch him walk or speak for the first time, be an actual father and the idea of all of that been ripped from him now made his rage spike. In return the Jedi shifted, their lightsabers raised in preparation. Fighting both would be impossible. They were both in their prime and were The Team. Even Vader knew his younger self would be a challenge.

He had learned that the hard way when they were first clashed, Skywalker was nimble but vicious in his attack. Vader hated to admit it, but he was getting old and his legs caused him to be in constant agony as they weighed him down. He had fled when he realized Obi-Wan was no longer there on the sidelines but had followed his fleeing son.

Stupid child.

He got his stubbornness from him and Padme, but Vader was sure it was mostly from his dead wife. He was not sure if he should be proud of his son, strangle him or feel remorseful that his wife had never seen their son grow up. The latter thought only made him more determined as he ignored the Jedi to focus on his son.

The pain and despair that radiated from his shields made Vader wince behind his mask as he watched his child taking it in with not excitement but like Vader had betrayed him in the worst way possible.

By shattering the idea Luke had of the man he most admired and aspired to be.

“It isn’t possible!” Luke choked out; the two Jedi awkwardly shifted while Vader growled.

“It is, my son. You can feel it’s the truth.” The Force screamed with it, its presence heavy like a blanket upon their shoulders.

“Well the truth sucks and you are an utter Hutt bastard!” Luke snapped back, ah there was that temper, attempting to get his feet under him he didn’t make it to his full height before he collapsed to his knees in horrible agony that screamed out in the Force. Vader growled, feeling the urge to reach out with the Force to, in some way that he had long forgotten, ease the pain of his child even as the words stung. “I would rather eat my lightsaber!” Luke wheezed out, glaring at him in spite while clutching his chest, panting from the pain.

“You are as stubborn as your mother!” Vader spat back, ignoring the look shared between the silent Jedi who were watching the spectacle.

“I DON’T HAVE A MOTHER YOU DAMN GAMMOREAN SWINE!” Luke snarled back before letting out a wheeze. The words felt like a fist to the gut as something quickly changed within Luke, who suddenly grabbed harder at his chest, his breathing short and growing desperate. “I-I c-can’t br-breathe!” Luke gurgled and Vader roared, moving to go to his son but the Jedi raised their lightsabers to block him.

“He is mine! You stupid Jedi, I will kill you both if you don’t get out of my way!” Vader fumed, his rage rearing up and the taste of fear entered the Force that Vader could not control. His child was in pain and trying to breathe, something Vader knew all too well and he could do _nothing_ with the two men in his path. 

“Anakin, help him.” Obi-Wan ordered, the other complied but not before sneering at the Sith as he went. While Skywalker could not see it, Vader returned it vehemently. 

“It’s okay, Luke. Just breathe deeply and slowly.” The man murmured, reaching to touch Luke’s shoulder and that is when it went into chaos. Obi-Wan and Vader snapped their heads towards the Force screaming out in warning, too late to react as several explosions hit the area where they stood that sent them all flying. Vader crashed into a tree, snapping it half before he collapsed onto his back. He only just barely managed to keep ahold of his lightsaber as the blast at almost been directly under his feet. Obi-Wan and Luke flew back, hitting their own trees almost in slow motion by Vader’s eyes. Obi-Wan was clipped in the shoulder, it created a horrible crunching sound as it connected with the wood. He landed on his side, crying out. Luke’s head cracked against the edge of a trunk before he collapsed after skidding several feet in the moss, limp. Anakin was the only lucky one, having missed the trees he went crashing into wet earth, rolling, and twisting as he went, cuts all over his arms and face from protecting his head by raising his arms over him.

There was a large pause, as if they were all gasping for air back into the lungs before droids’ voices rang out. 

“Open Fire!”

“Roger roger!”

Vader did not hesitate to act once his legs were under him, he leapt past the two Jedi who had scrambled behind trees when they managed to get over the blast hitting them. Vader ignored their very presence, deflecting blaster shots with a snap of his hand as he went.

They were not his primary focus nor concern.

“Luke!” Vader collected the boy into his arms, clutching him to his chest but the boy merely was limp, his head rolling back over Vader’s arm. Vader spat out a snarl as he tucked them behind a large tree after a lucky shot clipped his shoulder. Vader knelt to free his right hand to cup his sons face. A horrible gash was on Luke’s head, copious amounts of blood streaming out. The gash was touching his ear all the way to the back of his head, if Vader looked hard enough, he could see bone. Luke looked deathly pale as Vader listened to his breathing over the blasters ringing out and the shots hitting trees around them. His lungs were rattling with wet noises. It sent Vader to let out a bellowing roar through his vocoder and with his rage, a focused Force blast that took out several trees and droids with it, momentarily stopping the droids. 

“We must get out of here and back to our battalion!” A voice called out to Vader, making him look up to see Anakin pleading him with wide eyes, holding Obi-Wan up with an arm around his shoulders and a hand around his waist. “We can help him there! Come with us!” Vader stared at the man he once called himself and sneered, raising his hand to use the Force on the two men to snap their pathetic necks, Luke gave him pause as a sudden gurgling noise caught his attention and he watched in horror as blood wetted Luke’s lips. Vader quickly changed directory of his hand to cup Luke’s head to help him breathe by raising it. The gurgling choke quickly stopped once he elevated him. His son, his son was in pain and dying in his arms.

He could not lose him, he couldn’t lose anyone else after so much. He had lost his wife and all the happiness in this galaxy. He had already missed his child growing up, he would not let him slip through his fingers when he finally had him in his arms.

“Very well, lead the way.” Vader growled, rising to his feet with Luke in his arms, cradling him so his blonde head could rest on his shoulder plate. Skywalker looked relieved before quickly helping his master limp along with following Vader behind him. They fled as fast they could, the droids quickly recovering and hot on their heels even as Vader momentarily stopped to send a major portion of the droids flying. They kept coming as Anakin spoke on his comm link, trying to get support and coordinates to the battalion. 

Vader kept an eye on the two Jedi, glaring when his focus was not on weaving through the trees and checking on his son by touch but also the Force. Several times he had to use the Force to raise Luke’s head for him to gain proper air into his lungs. Luke had not woken up by the time clones swarmed the three men once they reached the commander center, guiding them deeper behind lines to be received by medics. Vader distantly remembered fighting on this planet, but barely. Darth Vader was more focused on unable to believe all these men were still alive as they walked past them. Kix. Fives. Cody. Rex. And so many many more that had been lost to him. It made Vader seethe.

This was not his life. He had killed it, but it did not mean the weak Anakin Skywalker hadn’t attempted to rise inside him and reach out to the men he had cared for and loved during The Clone Wars.

Vader viciously stomped him back down to where he belonged as the medics attempted to reach for Luke that remained limp in his arms.

“Do not touch him!” Vader snarled, stepping back as items around them began to tremble and rattle, sending every clone on edge but also shivering at the sudden coldness on the warm day. Several clicks reached Vader through his rage and he turned to find blasters pointed a foot away from his helmet in clear warning. Rex and Cody were both behind those blasters with stares that could pierce durasteel. 

He had forgotten how stealthy both could be even right next to a Force user.

“You are the enemy and therefore a threat, the only reason you are even alive is by our Generals goodwill. Now,” Cody hissed, “let the medics work.” Vader snarled in response but complied, gingerly setting Luke onto the awaiting hover bed. Vader watched Kix and Bones immediately set to work to bringing him to a medical tent and scanning his son. Vader reached out with his presence and wrapped it around Luke, keeping him safe but also not alone. His father was with him, he always would be.

When Luke disappeared from his sight, Vader turned to see Obi-Wan being ushered to the same tent, cradling his broken shoulder while Skywalker turned to stare at him. His disgust was palpable within the Force.

Idiot.

“Are you going to come peacefully to the brig, or will I have to beat you into the dirt first?” His younger self asked, insolent and haughty. “I think I would rather enjoy the latter.”

“The likelihood of a simpleton like you managing such a feat would be the end of the Clone Wars…” Vader purposefully tilted his head down and then up, assessing his old self. “Clearly that’s the reason why you haven’t succeeded so far to end it.” Any amusement that had once been on Skywalker’s face was quickly gone and both were growling, sending Rex and Cody on edge as the coldness seemed to enter their bones and spread out from there.

\-----

When Luke next awoke, the first thing he did was attempt to inhale on his own only to gag around the tube jammed down his throat. His hands snapped to the tube and clawed at it.

He couldn’t breathe. _He couldn’t breathe!_

“Luke!” Hands grabbed his own and held them firm, making him attempt to focus from the blurriness in his eyes to the electric blue ones staring back at him.

Father?

Luke choked again as an unfocused white figure came into view with black hands and gently eased the tube from his throat. It sent him into a coughing fit that tasted of blood and bacta, making him retch at the awful taste.

“You’re alright, kid.” For a brief moment, he thought it was Han consoling him. No one called him kid but Han until a hand gave him a firm whack to the shoulder and Luke cringed, looking up with clearer eyes to see that it was his father staring back at him. Not his monster of the Galactic Empire but the man who was a Jedi and Luke’s age.

“Wh-Where am I?” Luke rasped out, gratefully taking the offered cup that Anakin had picked up from the side table once his coughing came under control, savoring the water whetting his dry mouth.

“On my cruiser, the Resolute.” The Jedi explained, smiling as his hand rested on Luke’s shoulder, making Luke feel of a rush of excitement with the realization he was meeting his father for the first time, properly at that.

Not getting his ass kicked by his father-

That thought stopped him short and just by thinking about him, the Sith who had hunted him _and_ haunted his dreams, entered the room.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“Get your disgusting hands off _my_ son.” Vader rumbled, Anakin Skywalker glared back in response and if not tightened his grip on Luke’s shoulder as the Sith lord approached and stood opposite of his younger self and on Luke’s left.

“He can make his own choices, he’s not some item or pet you can keep.” The tone in Anakin’s voice sent a shiver down Luke’s spine as the room got colder from both men.

“He is no slave!” Vader spat back, hands curling into tight fists.

“You certainly act like it.” Anakin smiled, baring his teeth like they were needle points to bare at an enemy. Vader looked away, visibly controlling his temper by how he shifted and flexed his hands repeatedly _and_ by the stormtroopers standing at the door with their blasters at the ready.

_Son._

Luke snapped his gaze back to Vader, staring into the lenses pointedly directly at him. Towering over him now.

 _I don’t think you get to call me that after you hunted me like an animal for several years, got my aunt and uncle killed, shot down my ship, tortured my friends and everything else you have ever done to me and the people I love._ Luke narrowed his eyes menacingly, twisting his face in hatred.

Luke was still reeling from the fact that the man he so admired, the one who’s hand remained on his shoulder as a steady weight, turned into the monster of the Empire. Luke was even reeling at the fact he was meeting his father at this age; it gave him a massive headache at the sheer idea of it.

Had they gone back into time? A parallel universe? Both ideas made Luke want to find some alcohol and drink himself under the table with Han laughing at him and Leia looking like an unimpressed mother at her child’s behavior.

 _You are my son and you will accept it as the truth it is._ Vader snarled into his mind, making Luke wince in pain. _This man is nothing but a pathetic excuse of who your father was, an empty pathetic man desperate to get even a lick of acceptance from the wretched Jedi Order._

Luke considered those words and turned to look up at the man who was staring at Vader with disgust. Considering before opening his mouth.

“Father-“ A hand pressed against his mouth and pinned him to the bed, Vader snarling into his face as Luke nearly screamed in terror.

“You are insolent child and a stupid one at that!” Vader growled, the smell of leather hit Luke’s nose as he struggled before going still as the hiss of a lightsaber filled the room and a blue blade was carefully hovering at Vader’s neck. Every person in the room stilled as Luke and Vader turned their heads to stare at Anakin Skywalker holding the blade to his own older copy.

“Let go of him.” Vader instead tightened his grip on Luke’s mouth, pinching his lips painfully that Luke responded by hitting him in the chest in protest as he yelled against the leather, cursing in Huttese. “Now!” Anakin barked, glaring. 

Vader hissed, what Luke could guess from the vocoder, before he turned to stare back at him, Luke could feel the red eyes glaring at him within his mind, making him shrink back.

 _You will say nothing about where we are from, not how, not what, not who, nothing. Do I make myself clear?_

Luke hesitated before the flash of an image flashed behind his eyes, making him incredibly ill.

It was of Han screaming in agony, Leia with her head cut clean off, Anakin Skywalker skewered by a red lightsaber and Obi-Wan missing all his limbs, bleeding to death with empty eyes. It felt like a rush to Luke and he trembled that turned quickly to shivering as he jerkily nodded.

 _Good._ With that, Vader pulled away and stepped out of range of the lightsaber held by his younger self.

Anakin, turned off the lightsaber but kept the hilt pointing at the Sith lord.

“Get out. I think you’ve done enough to the son you call your own flesh and blood.” Vader scoffed at the insolent tone and flicked his fingers. A crunching sound occurred, and Anakin Skywalker let out a yell of surprise as his hand twisted backward and then suddenly snapped off, falling to the bed with the lightsaber still in its grip. Luke began to scream at the hand that landed on his leg and with the Force sent it flying against the opposite wall.

“That is one hand off my son, shall I start on the second?” Vader watched with a smug sneer behind his mask at the chaos that ensued after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess you could say... I did this with one hand?


End file.
